+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

I don't know what to do...IRCC Can't link form to my account

AmyL

Star Member
Mar 3, 2020
195
84
Hi, I got a biometrics payment request last month. We paid and I submitted the payment through the web form as they directed. One was done through the sponsors account and the other was done through the applicants account with a copy of the request letter. I have now received two emails from each of those saying that they cannot connect the information to my account and they need further information. The information they listed was in the web form. Other than that it said something about using a representative form. However, it was sent by both people so I don't understand why I would need a representative form given that it came from both accounts. I did resubmit that form as well as other documents but I'm afraid it's going to end up with the same issue. I don't understand why it's rejecting it if I have my UCI number and application number on the web form. I did try to upload a form for release of informationbut it was saying it was too big and I don't know how to shrink it down without zipping it. Does anybody here know what to do with either of these problems? I am now past the 30 day mark that they gave us and I'm afraid that they're going to reject the whole thing now.
 

AmyL

Star Member
Mar 3, 2020
195
84
Could it be because I did not put middle names on the webform? I am at a loss as to why they could not link it unless it is done by the computer and the information did not match 100% because of the missing middle names. Does anyone have ideas of how I can contact them from outside of Canada? I wish they had an alternate number. I am so worried because the 30 days have expired.
 

Usa2canada<3

Star Member
Feb 21, 2020
181
38
Ontario
Category........
FAM
App. Filed.......
13-08-2020
AOR Received.
11-25-2020
When did you apply? The biometrics payment reminder is always sent regardless of whether you have previously paid or not. if it indeed was a request for the payment. all you would need to do is send them a copy of that recipet are you able to acces your application via gckey maybe it will be better uploading it there.
 

AmyL

Star Member
Mar 3, 2020
195
84
I applied
When did you apply? The biometrics payment reminder is always sent regardless of whether you have previously paid or not. if it indeed was a request for the payment. all you would need to do is send them a copy of that recipet are you able to acces your application via gckey maybe it will be better uploading it there.
I applied in January. We did not include the biometrics payment because the website said that US applicants did not have to do so. We sent them a copy under my husbands name and then under mine a few days later. I redid it because I wanted to send the request letter with it just in case. On his, we accidently put his place of birth under my name because we changed who was in which spot. On both, we did not use our middle names, which I can also see being an issue for linking the information. Those are the only things I can see that we might have made a mistake on. I keep looking at it to see if there was a typo or something. You would think with our application number and UCI numbers, they would be able to see they were the same. My other theory was that my husband didn't have "permission" to add stuff to my account, which is silly to me.

Where do you upload it on GCKEY? I do not see where to do that.
 

AmyL

Star Member
Mar 3, 2020
195
84
When did you apply? The biometrics payment reminder is always sent regardless of whether you have previously paid or not. if it indeed was a request for the payment. all you would need to do is send them a copy of that recipet are you able to acces your application via gckey maybe it will be better uploading it there.
OMG!! THANK YOU soooooo much. I must have looked 50 times and never saw that. I do have another question though. How do you add more documents that you want to submit? Also, apparently they actually gave me more time than I thought. It said 30 days on the letter, but they must have given me 90 because of the due date.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,227
7,754
I applied

I applied in January. We did not include the biometrics payment because the website said that US applicants did not have to do so. We sent them a copy under my husbands name and then under mine a few days later. I redid it because I wanted to send the request letter with it just in case. On his, we accidently put his place of birth under my name because we changed who was in which spot. On both, we did not use our middle names, which I can also see being an issue for linking the information. Those are the only things I can see that we might have made a mistake on. I keep looking at it to see if there was a typo or something. You would think with our application number and UCI numbers, they would be able to see they were the same. My other theory was that my husband didn't have "permission" to add stuff to my account, which is silly to me.

Where do you upload it on GCKEY? I do not see where to do that.
USA applicants do need to give biometrics for permanent residency apps. Not for other types of applications so presume that's where you got confused.

I'm 99 but not 100 percent sure on this.
 

AmyL

Star Member
Mar 3, 2020
195
84
USA applicants do need to give biometrics for permanent residency apps. Not for other types of applications so presume that's where you got confused.

I'm 99 but not 100 percent sure on this.
On the page where you can check, It asks if you are doing permanent residency and I checked both the yes and no options. They both said it wasn't needed. But it also had the disclaimer that all PRs need it now, so it was a bit confusing. Live and learn I guess. I still want to know what I did wrong on the web form. I re-did our police certificates and want to submit, but I don't know if they will go through. I hate all the wasted time.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,227
7,754
On the page where you can check, It asks if you are doing permanent residency and I checked both the yes and no options. They both said it wasn't needed. But it also had the disclaimer that all PRs need it now, so it was a bit confusing. Live and learn I guess. I still want to know what I did wrong on the web form. I re-did our police certificates and want to submit, but I don't know if they will go through. I hate all the wasted time.
I just tried it and the result is:
"As a U.S. citizen or national, you don’t need to give your biometrics.

Exception: If you apply for permanent residence in Canada, you need to give your biometrics."

I will grant you that this formulation is frankly idiotic, but the 'exception' is pretty clear. (It would make a lot more sense if it started with 'what are you applying for...')
 

cjr

Star Member
Oct 5, 2020
112
74
USA applicants do need to give biometrics for permanent residency apps. Not for other types of applications so presume that's where you got confused.
I was confused on this as well - when I submitted our application I didn't initially include the biometrics fee because I could have sworn that I had read US applicants don't need biometrics.

The problem is that the IRCC website "question tree" is unintentionally misleading. Once you've selected USA as the applicant's country, the negative answer is in HUGE type, with an attention-seeking dark border. (Much larger than below - this is the largest this editor will allow me to make the text.)

The "Exception" paragraph is printed below the huge outlined area, in much smaller type.

Answer: You don't need to give your biometrics.

As a U.S. citizen or national, you don’t need to give your biometrics.

Exception: If you apply for permanent residence in Canada, you need to give your biometrics.

IRCC Biometrics Question page
 

AmyL

Star Member
Mar 3, 2020
195
84
I just tried it and the result is:
"As a U.S. citizen or national, you don’t need to give your biometrics.

Exception: If you apply for permanent residence in Canada, you need to give your biometrics."

I will grant you that this formulation is frankly idiotic, but the 'exception' is pretty clear. (It would make a lot more sense if it started with 'what are you applying for...')
I was confused on this as well - when I submitted our application I didn't initially include the biometrics fee because I could have sworn that I had read US applicants don't need biometrics.

The problem is that the IRCC website "question tree" is unintentionally misleading. Once you've selected USA as the applicant's country, the negative answer is in HUGE type, with an attention-seeking dark border. (Much larger than below - this is the largest this editor will allow me to make the text.)

The "Exception" paragraph is printed below the huge outlined area, in much smaller type.

Answer: You don't need to give your biometrics.

As a U.S. citizen or national, you don’t need to give your biometrics.

Exception: If you apply for permanent residence in Canada, you need to give your biometrics.

IRCC Biometrics Question page
Yeah, I saw that. I still need to know what I did wrong on the web form. Are they not processed by people? It just provided a generic "We verified the information you provided; however, we require further information in order to access the file." Most of the information listed was provided on the web form itself. The rest did not seem like it would help them find the application beyond what I had already provided.